Smith skinner



N PETERS, PHQTc-LITMOGEAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

M/ff.

www

N. PETERS. PHOYDLUTHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SMITH SKINN'ER, CF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WVM. H. SKINNERAND JACOB NICHOLS, JR.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,489, dated October 20, 1857.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SMITH SKINNER, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesexand Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a novel and usefullashing-Machine; and I hereby declare the following specification, inconnection with the accompanying drawings and reference thereon,constitute a lucid, clear, and exact description of the construction anduse of the same.

In referring to the said drawings, Figure l denotes a plan or top view.Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, an end elevation of it.Fig. 4, a longitudinal and vertical section on line A, B, of Fig. l,showing the slats of t-he wash board all tipped one way by the pressureof the clothes and movement of the rubber. Fig. 5, denotes a transverseand vertical section of a portion 'of the rubber, on line C, I), Fig. l.Fig. 6, a section of the wash board showing the slats therein tippedback by the clothes and rubber, or in a different direction from thatindicated in Fig. 4. Fig. 7, is an under side view of the rubber and itsserrated sections.

The nature of my invent-ion consists in my within described wash boardso constructed that the tipping elliptical slats in the board have amovement, or tip back and forth on pivots in the center of their ends,so that by the movement and pressure of the clothes upon them they willtip lthe clothes first being pressed against their flat surfaces, and bya continuous movement are broke on or crimped down over the sharpestedges of the slats so as to eectually wash them, and the same effect isimparted to the clothes whether they be moved in either direction on theboard. And my invention further consists in the rubber so constructedwith serrated sections pressing downward independently of each other,and to swing or move above the wash board in the within described manneras to bring the serrated surfaces in contact with every portion of theclothes, with an equal elastic pressure, in order to evenly andefliciently wash them without unnecessary wear, in the mannerhereinafter fully set forth.

0onsructoa.-In order to enable persons skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains to construct, use, and carry out the same I willdescribe it as follows: I construct a box of wood seen at A, which iswater tight.. In this box I fasten two cross bars seen at B, whichsupport the wash board C in the desired position. This board isconstructed of wood, the two sides being seen at D, and the end piecesat E. I construct a number of slats or ridges of an elliptical form, asseen at F, and on their ends I form round pivots seen at a, Fig. l.

These pivots are properly fitted to holes formed in the inner portion ofthe sides D, so that they may tip freely therein. Two holes are formedthrough each of these slats F, one near each end, seen at e, Figs. 4 and6. Through these holes there are wires, seen at G, Figs. l, 4 and 6,passed and each of their ends are confined firmly to the end pieces E ofthe wash board C. These holes c and wires Gr govern the amount which theslats F tip when the clothes H are rubbed over them back and forth, asfollows: IVhen the clothes are pushed back as seen at H, Fig. 4, as thearrow points, the slats are all tripped back so as to bring their flatrather t-han their sharp surfaces in contact with the clot-hes when thegreatest pressure is upon them, and allows the sections of the rubber tobreak or crimp the clothes down over the sharpest edges of the slatswhen the clothes are moved in either direction by reason of the tippingof these slats, and they tip until the surfaces z' of the holes e,through the slats, come in contact with the surfaces n of the rods orwires Gr which will stop their tipping.

Then the rubber and clothes are pulled forward, the slats will be tippedas seen in section at Fig. 6, and bring the surfaces r of the holes eagainst the surfaces t of the wires G, by which the tipping is stoppedin an opposite position, and for the same purpose as just described,when pushing the clothes as seen Fig. 4. Thus it will be seen that theflat sides of the slats are worn, instead of the sharper' edges of them,which is exactly the reverse of the ridges of all other wash boardsheretofore in use, for the sharp edges of them are worn out first, andbesides they are held stationary, consequently are soon worn out.

When the upper surfaces of the slats of my machine are worn out, theycan all be changes so that their under surfaces will be uppermost, andthus a new side is given the board, and of course it will last doublethe ordinary length of time.

I construct a rubber of wood as follows: The main part is seen at I, tothis is attached two uprights seen at J, between which is fitted andfastened a cross bar seen at K. Each of the top ends of the uprights Jare secured or `jointed, to the end of the swinging beams L, so as toturn thereon, which beams are connected together at their rear ends bythe cross beam O, and the beams L are attached to the turning cross barM, which turns freely by its pivots Q, in the tops of the posts N, whichare attached to -the box A. To the cross beam O, I attach a weight seenat P, by means of the rod R. This weight operates upon the beams O and Land rubber I connected to them, to balance them in all positions in sucha manner that if the rubber be lifted up to its highest position seen inred lines at Fig. 2, it will be so held, or if it be pulled down or partway down to its lowest position, it will so remain, in fact it willremain in any adjusted position from the highest to the lowest.

The cross bar K is perforated with holes U to receive the upperends ofthe shafts or guides S. Their lower ends pass through larger holes Vformed through the main part I. The lower end of each or these guidesare attached firmly to the serrated sections T, the serrations beingseen at WV, Fig. 4, and at Fig. 7. The serrated sections are set side byside of each other, seen at F ig.`7 the serrations in one comingopposite the ridges in the next and so on as seen at Fig. 7. Spiralsprings, seen at Y, are placed around and near the top of the guides S.The lower ends of these spiral springs come in contact or press againstthe shoulders X, formed on the guides S, while their upper ends come incontact with the under side of the cross bar K, to press down each ofthe serrated sections independently of each other, upon the clothes H,which independent action is of the utmost consequence to cause all theirregular portions of the surfaces of the clothes to be alike pressedand operated upon to wash or clean them. Thus the difliculty is overcomeof giving a great pressure to the thick portion of the clothes, whilethe'thin portions receive no pressure at all as in the old way, besidesa great amount of unnecessary wear to the clothes, which will be readilyseen.

The guides S and serrated sections T are prevented from dropping downtoo far by thestop pins A2 in the guides, which strike against the topof the main part I. Two end pieces, seen at D2, are fastened to theunder ends of the main part I, of the rubber, between which the serratedsections move and by which they are guided and prevented from turningwhen moved for use or in operation.

Operation: It will be seen that the wash board is of a segmental form orconcave form on its top, and that the lower or serrated surfaces of thesections of the rubber are correspondingly conveXed or rounding so as toswing or be swung parallel to the board and between which the clothes H,are placed to be washed. A quantity of water is poured into the boX A,as seen at B2, and the clothes are placed between the rubber and washboard, and the handles C2, which are fastened to the rubber I, areseized by the hands of the operator and vibrated back and forth, and atthe same time pressed down as much as may be desired, each of thesections T, will press down upon the portion of clothes with which itcomes immediately in contact with the same pressure whether the clothesunderneath are higher or lower, because the sections act independentlyof each other which will be readily seen. The slats F, of the wash boardall tip back as seen in Fig. 4L, when the rubber is pushed back over theclothes and board, and are all tipped forward as seen at Fig. 6 when therubber I, is pulled forward, so as to present the iattest side orsurface of the slats to the clothes H.

Claims.

1. I claim the wash board constructed of a number of elliptical slats ortheir equivalents arranged in such a manner that they may tip back andforth as the clothes H are pressed and moved on them sufficiently topresent their fiat, instead of their sharp surfaces to the clothes, andbe prevented from tipping too far, by wire rods G which pass throughholes e, (of a larger size' than the rods,) formed through each of theslats, essentially in the manner and for the purposes fully set forth.

2. I also claim the serrated sections T or their equivalents, in therubber, so constructed and arranged in combination with the wash boardC, that they can be swung back and forth, to rub and .wash the clothes,essentially in the manner and for the purposes fully set forth.

SMITH SKINNER.

`Witnesses TEMPLE TEBBETTS, E. W. ScoTT.

